Street-car fender.



No. 730,335. PATENTED JUNE 9, 41903. Si, E: BARTON.

STREET GAR FENDER.

LP'PLIQLTIDN rILnn oonla, 1901. l*

'l0 MODEL.

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Patented June 9, 1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

SI'LAS H.. BARTON, OF ENON, OHIO.

STREET-CAB FENDER.

SPEGIFICATIQN forming are of Letters-Patent No. 730,335, daten June e,1903. nppiicaiionieaocnter13,1902. serai 110.126.979. damien To @Ztwiz/ont t may corr/cern:

Be it known that I, SILAS H. BARTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Enon, in the countyof Clark and Stateof Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Street-Car Fenders; andIdodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in street-car fenders and isadapted for an attachment with the truck of the car. Y

The invention has for its object a device of the above characterV whichwill constantly maintain a proper position relatively to the track andwill not be aiected by the Vibrations of the car while the latter ismoving; and a further object of the invention is to provide a street-carfender or catcher which will tilt backwardly as soon as a bodyventersit, so that the person caught thereby will be held securely within thecatcher until relieved.

The essential characteristics of the invention will be fully describedin the following specification and the parts and mechanical featureswill be set out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of astreet-car and the forward truck, showing my improved fender in anoperative position. Figa@ is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is across-sectional detail of the lower end of the lower section of thefender or that portion which lies adjacent to the track. Fig. 4 is adetail of a portion of the devices which maintain the two sections ofthe fender in operative relation. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of theengaging mechanism between the upper section of the fender and thebrackets. Fig. 6 is a top plan View of the forward end of a portion ofthe fender, said view-being somewhat enlarged.

In a detail description of my improved carfender similar referencecharacters indicate corresponding parts in the several views of thedrawings.

a designates two brackets occupying horizontal positions relatively tothe carbody and havinga rigid connection, preferably at 'two points b,to the forward end of the truck c. These brackets when attached to thecar- ,trnck project forwardly a suitable distance in advance of thefront end of the platform d of the car. l

e and f designate two independent sections constituting as a whole the'car fender or catcher. The vupper section e is designed as a receptaclefor the body or person caught bythe lower section f, and-when performingthis function the two sections of the fender tilt into the position asshown in dotted lines, and thereby hold the person securely within theconfines of said fender. The upper horizontal edge of the upper sectione is curved forwardly, as at e', in order to make sure that the personfalling into the fender. will not move rearwardlyoff of the same. Eachsection of the fender is made up of the outer framework e and f withintervening metallic 'slats v7i and h', which have a suitable curvatureto provide a scoopshaped receptacle.- The lower ends of the slats h aresecured to a transverse bar g" inthe rear of the rubber casing g'. Thelower ends of the slats h are secured to the fulcrum bar or rod g. Theouter framework e and f, together with their respective metallic slats,are fulcrumed on a rod g, which is journaled in the outer ends of thebrackets a. The two sections of the fender are maintained in operativeposition by means of two end tie-rods '12, the lower ends of which areloosely connected to the lower section offramefby means of eyes t", andthe Vupper ends of said rods i are connected to the upper section orframe e by means of a stapleor eye o3', which isfast to the frame e. Theupper ends of said rods t terminate in hooks b', which pass through theeyes a. In order that the fender may be placed out of an operativepositionby folding the lower section against the upper section, itisnecessary that the connections between the upper Vwith the upper sectionof the fender, but can be moved down against the pressure of coil- ICOsprings e to permit of a removal of the hooks b from the eyes a' when itis desired to fold the fender. The lower transverse portion of the lowersection fis incased with rubber g', which is triangular incross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, and presents three straight sides,one of which is in a parallel position with the track A when the fenderis lowered in an operative position and the outer engaging side of whichtapers upwardly and rearwardly. By thus forming or shaping this cushionor yielding portion g an inclined surface g meets the object orobstruction on the track and offers less resistance to the upwardmovement of such object onto the fender, while the lower straightsurface or'that surface which is parallel to the track enables thefender to occupy a proper position relatively to the track, so that anyportion of the body of the person caught by the fender cannot getbeneath said fender. It will be borne in mind that the fender beingattached to the brackets a, which are rigidly secured to the truck, theusual bouncing or up-and-down movement of the fender is obviated.

In Fig. l the fender is shown in two positions-namely, the full lines inan operative position to engage an obstruction on the track and thedotted lines in an inclined position, which is the position of thefender when the obstruction has been received thereby. Means areprovided for maintaining the fender in either of these positions,consisting of rods 7c on each side. One end of each of said rods ispivoted at m to opposite sides of the upper members e of the fender, andthe other ends terminate in handpieces 7c', which pro-` ject outwardlybeyond the brackets a. The said rods pass through loops or keepers m',which are secured in slanting positions to the inner sides of thebrackets ct, and surrounding each of said rods is a coil-spring n, whichis confined between the pivot-piece m and a head o on said rods. Owingto the slanting positions of the keepers m', the heads o,which are looseon the rods 7c, will have a constant tendency to climb up toward theupper ends of said keepers through the expanding influence of thesprings n. Therefore the rods 7c will be maintained in a proper orhorizontal position. o is a tapering projection in the body4 of saidrods 7c, which is adapted to be moved on either side of a pin orprojection p, which is fixed to the inner sides of the brackets a.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tapering projection o occupies a position on theleft of the pin p, and by reason of such engagement the fender ismaintained in the operative position. (Shown in Fig. l.) The pressure ofthe springs n will keep the projections o adjacent to pins In the eventof a person being caught by the fender the weight of such person willcause the tapering projections o' to move to the opposite (right) sideof the pins p, and thereby lock the fender in the raised position, andwhen said tapering projections assume the position on the left side ofsaid pins, as in Fig. 1, the fender is locked in its lowered position.After the person caught by said fender is removed therefrom theconductor, motorman, or other person, by means of the handles 7c',replaces the rods lo to the position shown in Fig. l, with the lugs orprojections o in the position on the left of the pins p.

Having described my'invention, I claiml. In a street-car fender, thecombination with two side brackets rigidly securable to the forward endof the truck, .of a fender consisting of upper and lower sections fulcrumed on a common rod extending between the ends of said brackets,tie-rods connecting the two sections of said fender, the connections ofsaid tie-rods with the upper section of the fender being of a detachablenature, springcontrolled retaining-rods connected to opposite sides ofthe upper section of said fender, said rods having a locking projectionin the body portion thereof, pins projected from the inner sides of thebrackets adapted to engage said locking projections and thereby maintainthe fender securely in its lowered or elevated position, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a car-fender, thecombinationwith two horizontal bracketsattachable to a cartruck, a fender consisting of upper and lowersections which are fulcrnmed on a common rod extending between the outerends of said brackets, the lower section of said fender having atransverse rubber casing which is triangular in cross-section, tie-rodsconnecting the two sections of said fender, the connections of saidtie-rods with the upper section being detachable in order to permit ofthe lower section being folded upon the upper section, retaining-rodsadapted to hold said fender in a lowered or elevated position, said rodshaving a pivotal connection at one end to the opposite sides of theupper section of the fender, a coil-spring inclosing each of said rods,a projection in the body of each of said rods, and a locking-pinprojecting from the inner side of each of the brackets and adapted tocooperate with said projections to maintain the fender in a lowered orelevated position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SILAS I-I. BARTON.

Witnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, WM. N. ALBIN.

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